Hosts Russia have a golden chance of making it to the semi-finals. But standing in their way are the resilient Croats.

In the last FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-final match, hosts Russia are all set to lock horns with Croatia at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi. Two teams who have beaten the favourites of the tournament now face each other in this unlikely fixture with a golden chance of reaching the semi-finals. For the hosts, the Russian football team gave the nation its biggest gift when they beat 2010 champions Spain in the Round of 16. Croatia’s golden generation, on the other hand, are looking to replicate the incredible feat when they reached the semi-finals in the 1998 World Cup. One of them will be elated, the other one will be frustrated. Let’s take a look at how the two teams line up before we make our full FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-final predictions:

FIFA World Cup 2018 Quarter-Final: Russia vs Croatia

Who would have thought that we would be seeing a Russia vs Croatia quarter-final? That’s how surprising this World Cup has been. Russia, the hosts were also unfortunately the lowest ranked team before the start of the tournament. But when the ball kicked-off, they showed exactly what they were capable of with a 5-0 drubbing of Saudi Arabia. Although they lost their final group match against Uruguay, the history of Russia football was rewritten in the FIFA World Cup 2018 Round of 16 when they faced Spain.

While Spain were firm favourites to knock out the hosts, the Russians had a different plan as they bounced back from a goal down to eventually beating La Roja on penalties. They now have a realistic chance of making it to the semi-finals. In order to do that, players like Aleksandr Golovin, Artem Dzyuba and Igor Akinfeev need to show up. Remember, the crowd will be boisterous as ever and that could be an advantage for the Russians.

Croatia, on the other, have proven their mettle in their matches so far. After a comfortable win against Nigeria, they stepped up against 2014 finalists Argentina when they beat Messi and Co. 3-0. They finished the group stages with three wins; only two other teams achieved that as they marched on to the FIFA World Cup knockout stages.

Croatia were pushed against Denmark, they even missed a penalty in the second half of the extra time but eventually held on in the penalties to qualify for the quarterfinals. With players like Modric, Rakitic, Perisic and Mandzukic, Croatia certainly has the talent among their ranks to beat the best on their day. But do they have the nerves to knock out the hosts? Let’s take a look at the full FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-final predictions:

FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-final predictions: Russia vs Croatia

Even though the Russian team will be all pumped up and ready to go, Croatia are the favourites heading into the match. The players who make Croatia’s best generation are a dream to watch when they hit the ground running. With Modric at the helm, Croatia will be hoping they book their second ever semi-final spot. But then again, Russia beat Spain, who were firm favourites of the tournament. Now if that’s what home advantage means, then we have a cracker in our hands. According to popular bookmakers, Bet 365, Croatia are favourites for the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-final match with odds of 5:4 as compared to Russia’s odds of 3:1.